Be honest , do you maintain your bearings every year

[travelingjw]

To be honest, I change my bearings either prior to or at 12,000 miles. It is an inexpensive insurance policy. I started this after I owned my TT for less than a year and suspected a bearing failure. The "wise ones" on this forum recommended Timken bearings and I have never had a an issue with them.

[GarlicDude]

I changed mine after 5 years, this included a 4 week Yellowstone, South Dakota etc. plus lots of travel in California.


The bearings looked good, but we were planning a 5 week trip around the Southwest so I replaced the Chinese with Timkens , still made here, which surprised me and off we went with no problems.


At gas or rest stops I touch the hubs to make sure they are running cool.

[Scott_Trailer_Newbe]

I find it a little funny that people pay so much attention to wheel beings on their trailers yet many never touch their vehicle wheel bearings even though they get more miles and likely travel in worse conditions than their trailer. Trailer bearing do need inspection from time to time and may require lubrication but the reality is they are no different than your tow vehicle which I would wager gets a lot less attention. In many cases this may actually be a good thing.

[Jayco224BHW]

Anyone know exactly what kind of grease were supposed to be using in these dexter ez lube spindles?

[travelingjw]

Absolutely or 12,000 what ever comes first

[Yooper906]

Originally Posted by Jayco224BHW

Anyone know exactly what kind of grease were supposed to be using in these dexter ez lube spindles?

Wheel bearing grease of course. I put on around 8000 miles a year and re-lube every year. I don't use the easy lube system.
I don't have a favorite brand, after a lot of years on the road I've never had a bearing failure.

[Route 66 Traveler]

Originally Posted by Jayco224BHW

Anyone know exactly what kind of grease were supposed to be using in these dexter ez lube spindles?

Lucas Red N Tacky #2, every year no matter the miles.

[Jerry713]

Our 2021 TT only has about 2k miles on it and we only put about 600 miles per year since we leave it at the same RV park for at least 6 months out of the year. So no not even close for us.

[Jayco224BHW]

Originally Posted by Route 66 Traveler

Lucas Red N Tacky #2, every year no matter the miles.

Ez or manual re pack?

[ARoamer]

Originally Posted by Jayco224BHW

Anyone know exactly what kind of grease were supposed to be using in these dexter ez lube spindles?

X2 for Lucas red'n tacky. Manual repacks for me, I'll never use the zerk again. Here's the specs straight from the dexter service manual. Don't mix grease types, clean out old grease as some will not work well together.

[Route 66 Traveler]

Originally Posted by Jayco224BHW

Ez or manual re pack?

EZ for the past 6 years....

[JFlightRisk]

I did get three cartridges of Red & Tacky a few years ago, and on a hot day before a trip to Virginia I jacked each wheel and pumped fresh grease in while spinning the wheels until it came out bright red. Since then, I just give each zerk a few pumps once a year. We usually don't travel much more than 150 miles away. I do have a full set of Timken bearings and National seals on hand for when I pull all the drums next spring in anticipation of a trip to the Kentucky area if things work out. Our brakes work well, but I want to inspect them before the trip.

[Bob K]

I did a complete service on the bearings when I first purchased the (used) trailer just to get them into a trustworthy maintenance configuration. Thereafter, I'd say I hit the Dexter EZ-Lube zerks with grease once per year and check for bearing play. Then do a more complete teardown maintenance every other year. This is on a trailer that sees about 8-10,000 miles per year.

[chops1sc]

I'm kinda torn. 2023 was our first year with a new camper and we only put 844 miles on it (including the 100 mile ride home). Part of me thinks this isn't even considered broken in yet. BUT, I feel like I need to go through the bearings just to see how they are from the factory and how they held up during the first year. I am thinking I will probably tackle this on a warm winter weekend. Where I'm at in SC we tend to have some "warm weather" in winter, LOL!

[tnka trk]

Before our trailer went up on blocks it was done every year. Cheap insurance and peace of mind while travelling with my wife.

[RogerR]

I put on all new bearings and brakes 2 years ago. Last year I just pulled off the wheels and looked at them. Grease was clean and new looking (6,000 miles total.) Come spring I will inspect and pack unless grease still looks good then I will add a little but not repack. Any discoloration and I will repack.

[Edutron]

Install wet bearings. SOLVED

[Route 66 Traveler]

Well, I finally did it! After 7 years and more than 22,000 miles I pulled of my hubs to inspect the bearings and brakes on my 2017 TT. I have used the Dexter EZ Lube system twice a year since new, following the procedure outlined by Dexter. Many have poo-pooed the EZ lube procedure, that’s why I broke down and pulled my hubs for a visual inspection.

What did I find?? The linings on my brake shoes were about 1/2 worn. All the bearings and races looked brand new with to pitting, scaring or discoloration. There was no grease on any of the linings, nor past the wheel seals.

I am installing new races, bearings, and seals as well as brake shoes since I have them apart. The wear surfaces on the hubs are all smooth and shiny, and the magnets show a little wear but far from needing replacing.

I will be resuming my bi-annual EZ Lube maintenance and will do another inspection way down the road. A good testament for Lucas Red-N-Tacky #2!

[Hollander Mutthaulers]

Glad it worked out for you, Route 66.

Another vote for Lucas Red Tacky - I keep a little jar of it to lube the hitch ball with.

[Route 66 Traveler]

A quick follow up...I called Dexter to find out what bearings they used. They wouldn't give me a straight answer, but the original bearings I removed from the Dexter hubs all say "Made in China". I also found out Timken bearings now all say MIC. Given that the original bearings look almost new after 20k+ miles I'm not too concerned about my new ones.